Running After Baby: My Post-Childbirth Journey

I’m finally back to running after having my little guy! I’m 10 weeks postpartum and I’ve been running since my 6 week OB appointment. Once I got the all-clear to workout again I immediately tried to run. Keep reading for all the details on running after baby: My Post-Childbirth Journey!

Don’t forget to get the lowdown on my entire pregnancy by reading about my First, Second, and Third Trimesters! Also, check out if being a runner helped me with childbirth!

First Run

I’m going to be honest with you, my first run wasn’t amazing. Before I was cleared to run my husband and I walked a few weeks after I gave birth. I decided to try some short runs during our daily walk at 6 weeks postpartum. I felt exhausted, heavy, my chest was larger and less comfortable while running, and not to mention nothing down below felt normal. So, I took it SLOW and ran short distances. I never pushed myself more than I felt comfortable with. That’s how I started back running, it didn’t feel great but I was happy to run again in whatever form it took.   

Getting Stronger

I persevered with my runs and continued to push my distance. I added in strength training daily (or when I could find a few free minutes when I wasn’t holding the baby). Now I am absolutely stronger than I was 4 weeks ago. I can run longer intervals (1.5 to 2 miles) and our walks are around 4 miles. It’s still tough to run, but I am getting more and more comfortable each day. It may not be where I used to be (not even close!) but it makes me happy to see some progress.

Motivation 

Usually, I might use the scale to motivate me or measure where my fitness is, not anymore! Honestly, no one should use the scale to measure their fitness, but that’s easier said than done. With breastfeeding my weight 100% varies each day. I cannot eat fewer calories since I need to keep up my supply. So what motivates me is feeling stronger during my runs and being able to run longer. 

I also bought a new Garmin watch to help track my progress. The Garmin Venu has been a great everyday watch and activity tracker! Stay tuned to the blog for my full review! This watch is great in all aspects, but I especially love that I got it during this new phase of my running. It is tracking my records starting from when I got the watch which means I’m constantly hitting personal bests. This is motivating and fun since it’s not comparing me to my pre-baby runs. It really does feel like I am starting over again with my running, so having a clean slate is what I need! 

Looking Ahead

 
Each day is different with my runs and fitness. I am pushing my body, but still trying to be gentle with myself as far as progress goes. It is VERY hard to accept where I am now and not compare to what I used to be. But I try to remind myself that it took 9 months to grow this human, it will take a least that long to get somewhat back to my old self. I do have one race on my 2021 calendar! The Nashville Rock’N’Roll races are coming back in November! I signed up for the 10k in hopes that I can run that distance by then. This gives me a goal to strive for, even if I run it just to finish it (no time goals in mind). Who knows, I might even sign up for a runDisney race next year since they are going to be in-person again! 

I am so grateful for my passion for running, and I know that it will pull me through some of the challenges ahead! Never stop growing in your fitness journey, even if it looks different than you imagined! 

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